Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Dog with multidrug-resistant Enterococcus and Klebsiella sepsis
By Seo, Hyung-Min et al.·Published in Veterinary medicine and science·2026·Department of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care Medicine, South Korea·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: A Case of Sepsis Caused by ST80 Multidrug-Resistant Enterococcus faecium With Concurrent Klebsiella pneumoniae Infection in a Dog.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
An 8-year-old mixed-breed dog was brought to the vet with severe breathing problems, coughing up blood, and signs of serious illness. Unfortunately, the dog was diagnosed with a severe infection caused by a drug-resistant bacteria called Enterococcus faecium, which led to sepsis (a life-threatening response to infection). Despite testing for various infections and trying different treatments, the dog's condition worsened, resulting in respiratory failure and ultimately death. This case highlights the dangers of antibiotic-resistant infections in pets and the need for careful management of such cases.
People also search for: dog breathing problems · dog coughing up blood · antibiotic-resistant infection in dogs · sepsis in dogs · treatment for Enterococcus faecium in dogs
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Enterococcus faecium is a Gram-positive opportunistic pathogen commonly found in the gastrointestinal tract of humans and animals. OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to describe a clinical case of multidrug-resistant E. faecium ST80 respiratory tract infection that progressed to sepsis in a dog. METHODS: An 8-year-old, 20-kg castrated male mixed-breed dog presented with acute respiratory distress, haemoptysis and systemic inflammatory signs. The clinical condition deteriorated, progressing to acute respiratory distress syndrome and respiratory fatigue, which ultimately resulted in mortality. Diagnostic evaluation included cytological examination, bacterial and viral infection testing and histological analysis of tissue samples. RESULTS: Enterococcus faecium isolates from the nasal swab, liver, kidney and rectum exhibited identical resistance profiles and resistance to all antibiotics tested except vancomycin, nitrofurantoin and chloramphenicol. Enterococcus faecium isolates from the liver, kidney and rectum were characterised using whole-genome sequencing. The isolates carried multiple antibiotic resistance and virulence genes (scm, acm, efaAfm and sgrA). Additionally, a high genetic similarity was observed among E. faecium isolates from the liver and kidney, supporting systemic dissemination of a single E. faecium clone consistent with sepsis. CONCLUSIONS: The findings emphasise the clinical significance of enterococcal infections and their potential role in disease progression, underscoring the importance of managing virulent and drug-resistant Enterococcus infections in dogs.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42057654/